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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
PAGE 47
HMS NITH BUILD HISTORY
PAGE 8
CAREER
PAGE11
THE SUEZ CRISIS
PAGE 22
BRITISH WARSHIPS SOLD TO EGYPT AND ISRAEL
PAGE 27
THE SINKING
PAGE 31
HMS NEWFOUNDLAND/ HMS DIANA
PAGE 37
THE WRECK TODAY
PAGE 39
SEARCH AND DISCOVERY
PAGE 34
TWINS AT WAR THE ELIATH
PAGE 44
KESHET AVARA THE EL QAHER
PAGE 48
THE HEDGEHOG
PAGE 51
BIBLIOGRAPHY
PAGE 52
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FORWARD by JOHN WOMACK I am John Womack Snr, BSAC First Class Diver, Advanced Instructor & owner of Otter Drysuits in Yorkshire, having dived the Britannic, Prince of Wales, Repulse and the Victoria plus many more over the last 40 years I would not go anywhere in the Red Sea without one of Peter's guide books. I have been on numerous successful trips of Peter's including wreck searching in Truk La goon.
Peter's new book is awesome, there are so many wrecks and to give detailed descriptions of all the wrecks themselves is great, it makes you feel like you have dived them already. I remember doing a night dive on the Thistlegorm which was just fantastic it was pitch black with pin points of light from fellow divers lights.In the south, Peter, Tom and myself went looking for the wreck of the Maidan on Rocky Island, we followed the debris trail down to 65mtrs and there before us was the huge sha dow of the wreck hanging over the abyss starting at 80 mtrs. We could only look down in wonder, but we had found what we were looking for after 10 years.
Peter's trips are a must and very much like his trips his books are a must read, Peter is a walking encyclopa edia on all things diving and ship wrecks. A lot of great ships were made in the North East and it comes as no surprise to me that this is where Peter came from too, we have been friends /fellow wreck divers a lot of years and hope to be sharing experiences and books for many more years to come.
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John Womack MD Otter Watersports Yorkshire.March 2018 Otter Drysuits, UK This series of guides is respectfully dedicated to this great man. I am proud to have called him friend and shared his last dive. JOHN MICHAEL WOMACK 23 MARCH 194330 TH NOV.2018
E BOOK CONCEPT The idea of the E BOOK series came about after seeing so many incorrect publications quoting the wrong identity of the Tile Wreck at Abu Nuhas in the Red Sea . Despite a plethora of undeniable facts presented by myself and members of the Red Sea Wreck Academy, self proclaiming experts still, for reasons known only to themselves, continued to quote the MARCUS as the CHRISOULA K. It was archive photographs from Howard Rosenstien and the location of the ships bell, which added weight to Stephan Jablonski’s accounts of the sinkings’. This new material gave us enough to produce the first E book in 2008. Being free from restrictions it soon found its way around the world and was passed on from diver to diver. It had the desired effect-Now more and more reports carry the correct identity.Its success lead to more titles being produced and published .Initially with an Egyptian theme, the Thistlegorm, Rosalie Moller and the Russia n warranted a volume to themselves. Tourist authorities have noticed the importance of their assets. Wrecks are living underwater museums, and commissions have flooded in from Leros, Egypt, Truk, Pala u, Sri Lanka Subic Bay, and Busuanga, to name but a few. “Promoting tourism through shipwrecks” has become our mission statement, and by the end of 2015 we will have completed 20 titles in the series. We intend to update the guides annually-all free in readable format (72dpi) and in hi res, printable versions from the deeplens website for a small fee. So now we have a total of 20 titles available, (and more on the way), yours to enjoy and pass on-to anyone who may be interested- with my compliments and don’t forget we run regular expeditions and safaris to all these featured Wrecks…The project has only just begun….
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Not for the first time do I find myself writing about a British warship which ended it’s life at the bottom of the Red Sea. Not for the first time has a unique and strange story of a ships demise come to light; A British vessel final sunk by another British warship, HM S NITH and a British warship sunk by Israeli fight planes HM S M YINGS. Off all the wrecks we (The Red Sea Wreck Academy) have located, surveyed and identified, the Domiat has perhaps the most colourful history, even though she had a innocuous end, and her story deserves to be documented in full. This is an initial report as much more on site work has to be done to fully document the remains of this brave little ship. Due to her depth and exposed position out expeditions over the past few years have been hampered by un favourable conditions. As with many of the other wrecks we have discovered rumours abound of others discovering her. History and fact sp eak for themselves. We will continue to update this publication as weather permits. Along with the El Qaher at Port Berenice, this wreck is a great example of an intact British WW2 warship free of diving restrictions –neither are listed as war graves. Due to her depth she is best suited for the technically minded experienced diver, and lies beyond the reach of the average sp ort diver, and the tourist hordes that have aided the demise of many Red Sea wrecks. Hop efully she will not suffer the fate as the Thistlegorm, Rosalie M oller and now the Turkia. She is a fascinating wreck and a living museum to WW2 British wartime ship building. This report details the events surround her career a British vessel of war and the politics which lead to her sinking, it also shed light on other British vessels destined caught up in the Arab Israeli conflicts.
HMS NITH- BUILD HISTORY AND SPECIFICATION 7
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Frigate Displacement 1370 BRT Length
301 feet
Complement
140 men
Armament
Original design; 2 x 4inch guns (2x1) 10 x 20m guns (2x2,6x1)
Max speed
20 knots
Engines
2 shaft Reciprocating (4 cyl. V.T.E.) HMS Cam, HMS Chelmer, HMS Ettrick, HMS Helmsd ale and HMS Tweed 2 shaft Geared Turbin es
Power
I.H.P. 5.500 HMS Cam, HMS Chelmer, HMS Ettrick, HMS Helmsd ale and HMS Tweed S.H.P. 6.500
Commonwealth frigates were sp ecifically designed as antisubmarine escorts for trans-Atlantic convoys. River class frigates offered the size, sp eed, and endurance of escort sloops using inexpensive reciprocating machinery of corvettes. River class were designed for North Atlantic weather conditions and included the most effective anti-submarine sensors and weapons. HM S Rother and HM S Spey were launched in late 1941, and Canadian and Australian construction continued through 1944. Early River class units were available for the turning point convoy battles of the winter of 1942-43. River class frigates generally replaced the old Town and V&W class destroyers which had been assigned to ocean escort groups. Ten River class frigates were built for the United States in Canada. Two were commissioned in 1942 as USS Asheville (PF-1) and USS Natchez (PF-2), they were armed with U.S.N. pattern 3"/50 AA guns. The other eight were released under lend-lease for use by Commonwealth forces.
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This class was developed to have the same capabilities as the pre WW11 "Black Swan" class. However, they were much simpler, cheaper and easier to build with "Reciprocating" rather than "Steam Turbine" power plants. They were designed to be 50ft. longer, at 300ft., than the contemporary "Castle Class", and so the task of building them could not be carried out in many smaller "Civilian" yards.
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HIS TORY It was 25 September before she was launched, named H.M .S.Nith, and commissioned into service. Her duties should have been convoy escort, because her armament consisted of 2 Quick Firing 4” guns, one rocket multi launcher, known as a Hedgehog and 126 Depth charges. It was found that she was not suitable for escort duties, and in September 1943, following unsuitable speed trials, she was designated to be a landing craft sup port ship. In June 1944, she was chosen to be the Headquarters for the British landings in Normandy on ‘D’ Day, and after landing 231 Infantry Brigade on ‘Jig’ Green Beach, she commenced duties in controlling the routing of convoys to the assault force zones. She was especially suited for this, because prior to joining the ship, many signalmen and W.T.operators had received sp ecial training in Scotland for their chosen duties, and when the time arrived they could receive and transmit multiple signals, both visual and wireless. In their duties re-routing convoys, Nith should be easily recognised, so her funnel and bridgeworks were painted a vivid red so it was impossible to miss her.
It is more than likely that she was singled out for enemy attack, and on the evening of 24 June 1944, Ordinary Seaman Les Gentry was manning a radio direction finder to locate aircraft, but the set was giving trouble so he was given permission to ask a radar mechanic to look at it. A very fortunate incident for him, whose action station was on the starboard side. He soon had the set working, and immediately Les Gentry had a bearing dead astern, of an aircraft at 1300 with the range closing. His last signal to the bridge was ‘Target Overhead Sir,’ when Nith was struck on the starboard side by a M istel. This was one of the latest of the enemies weapons, and was a JU88 plane, packed with high explosive, but guided by a parent plane to its target. A terrible toll was taken of the crew, the Wounded were transferred to another ship and the dead busied at sea at 0700 hours 25 June 2003, whilst Nith was under tow to Cowes, where she was drydocked and underwent repairs. This was one of two experimental M istel that the enemy tried out. The other one crashed on take-off at St Dizier, with the loss of two pilots. In October of that year, Nith was sailed to the Clyde and prepared for duties in the Far East, but it was the following Ap ril before she was ready, and sailed for Arakan, via Gibraltar and the Suez Canal, to take part in Op eration Dracula, to retake Rangoon. Fortunately, the Japanese Army had already evacuated and after the reoccupation was complete, Nithwas again chosen to be the Headquarters of the Senior Naval 11
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Officer in Charge. The following year, she was part of Op eration Bibber, which was the reoccupation of Thailand, but the Japanese had already surrendered, so it was a bloodless coup. The following year M arch 1946, she left India and became part of the Reserve Fleet at Harwich. She has been immortalised in a book by Robert Forsyth
H.M .S. ‘Nith’ began her life on the stocks of M essrs. Henry Robb Ltd. At Leith, and was launched in February 1943. Built as a Frigate, she performed several convoy escort duties during 1943 but in December of that year it was decided to convert here into a Brigade Headquarters Ship. This task was performed at Glasgow and on 14th February 1944 she was recommissioned. A completely new ship’s company joined her and Lieutenant Commander D. M ansfield RN was appointed in command. Trials were successfully carried out in the Clyde and in March she sailed for Portland. Then followed a long and tedious period of exercises to prepare for the invasion of Normandy although, of course, no one knew that at the time. These preparations went on so long that it seemed that the great day would never arrive, but at last the dawn of June the 6th revealed the greatest armada that ever put to sea, sailing across the channel to land the armies that were to liberate Europe. ‘Nith’ was in the initial assault wave and her task was to sup ervise the landing of the 231st. Infantry Brigade on the beaches of Courseulles near Arromanches. Some opposition was met from the shore guns, but very little damage was done to the force. By D+1 the assault was completed and ‘Nith’s’ first job was done. Her next task was to take up a position in the approaches to the beach and to control the incoming shipping of the ‘build-up’ phase on Courseulles. By this time, night air attacks by the enemy had grown to be a regular feature on the day’s programme. June the 23rd, was no exception and the attacks began as usual. At eleven o’clock, after a slight lull, a trawler lying astern opened fire and soon the shadowy shape of an aircraft could be seen sp eeding low over the water towards ‘Nith’. As soon as the aircraft came within range, the Starboard 12
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guns opened fire and several hits were scored, but on it came, nearer and nearer until it seemed certain that it must crash into the ship’s mast, when suddenly, there was a deafening explosion. The ship had been hit. The Starboard side amidships was blown in and steel fragments raked the whole breadth of the ship. Steam pipes in the boiler room were burst and the main generator was p ut out of action. For a time the ship was without electricity , but working in almost complete darkness, the Chief Engine Room Artificer soon had the auxiliary power sup ply working and the Chief Petty Officer Telegraphist switched over all his wireless sets to a battery sup ply and rigged temporary aerials in place of those that had been blown down. As a result of the prompt action of these men, the ship, as a headquarters ship was only out of action for a very short sp ace of time. It was then discovered that a Junkers 88 filled with explosive and controlled by a M esserschmitt 109 had near missed the ship. The Me109 with the U.88 secured underneath had flown low over the ship and released the lower plane which tore away the ship’s sea boat with it’s wing and crashed into the sea alongside the ship where it exploded. Nine men were killed and twenty-six wounded. The following day when the ship had been patched up as well as possible, she was towed back to the Solent (but not before committing the dead to the sea) and afterwards to Cowes where she was repaired. The Chief Engine Room Artificer was decorated and five other men were mentioned in disp atches. During her stay at Cowes, Lieutenant Commander M ansfield left the ship and Lieutenant Commander the Hon. Greville Howard R.N.V.R. took over command. On the 2nd August ‘Nith’ was back on the job again as Headquarters ship for the Support Squadron of the Eastern Flank. On this sector quite a lot of enemy opposition was encountered from shore guns, aircraft, human torpedoes and explosive motor boats, but all these attacks were beaten off. As the offensive grew and the battle front moved farther inland, enemy activity at the beaches diminished until it was possible to grant shore leave to Langume – Sur – La – M er and a trip to Bayeux was organised. Three E.N.S.A. p arties came aboard and gave shows that were greatly appreciated by the ship’s company. One of these performances was shown
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during a smoke – screen and, although both the stage and the actors were invisible, the show went on and everyone enjoyed it. On the 16th September, ‘Nith’ was relieved, and for a time, was engaged in escorting cross-channel convoys until it was decided to convert her into a L.S.H. (S) for service in the Far East. This meant a long refit and consequently a long leave, so no one was p articularly sorry about that. Glasgow was once again chosen as the refitting port, much to the delight of the Scotsman on board. However, the Sassenachs soon made themselves at home and when the time came to leave, everyone was sorry to say good-bye. During the refit, the command of the ship was once again transferred; this time to Lieutenant Commander W.A. Grinham, R.N.V.R. The 1st M arch marked the beginning of a new chapter in the ship’s life. She sailed down the Clyde and began her long journey for India and the Far East The outward trip was done in the shortest possible time, partly in convoy and partly on her own. Brief visits were paid to Gibraltar, Bizerta, Port Said and Aden, and on the 25th M arch ‘Nith’ sailed past the gateway of India and anchored in Bombay harbour. It was not long before her services were required and away she sailed for Ky ault Py u, a small port on Pamroc Island, off the North West Coast of Burma. It was from here that the coming operation was soon to be held. No one knew where the landing would take place until the morning of the 29th Ap ril when the ship found herself in the third of four convoys bound for Rangoon. It was not known what sort of opposition would be encountered, but it had been reported that the Japanese had only a few aircraft at Rangoon itself, and more at M oulmein, further down the coast. It had also been discovered that there were several naval gun emplacements round the mouth of the Rangoon River.
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All convoys arrived and anchored off the Rangoon River in the darkness of the night of M ay 1st. The bay had been swept by a destroyer patrol the day before, and a small Japanese convoy had been detected and sunk. Not a sound was heard from the shore. The silence was almost uncanny. Every ship was closed up at action stations and a weary, but watchful night was sp ent with nothing to see but the swirling, muddy water of the Irrawaddy Delta and the dim outline of the enemy shore silhouetted against the troubled monsoon sky . At 1 o’clock, dull thudding could be heard, coming from the direction of the shore. The R.A.F. had begun its ‘softening-up’ process on the local defences. By 3 o’clock, a Brigade of Ghurka Paratroop s had been dropped and was engaged in neutralising the gun emplacements.During these operations, the assault craft had been lowered from their carriers and at seven o’clock H – hour, the first wave touched down on the banks of the river around it’s mouth. Little opposition was met and few casualties were suffered. A few Japanese armed barges were encountered in Kyauk Tan creek on the eastern bank of the river, but were soon disposed of. There was very little enemy resistance at all and on the 3rd M ay, the first patrol reached Rangoon City itself, to find that most of the Japanese forces had withdrawn, leaving behind only one or two suicide squads to harass our men. The Allied prisoners of war that had been left behind by the retreating Japanese, naturally gave our men a terrific welcome. The ‘Build-up’ landings were performed successfully and on the 6th M ay, ‘Nith’ sailed up the Rangoon River and claimed the honour of being the first H.M . Ship alongside at Rangoon. The ship’s task then was to act as headquarters for the Naval Base Staff until suitable offices were set up ashore and the necessary equipment landed. During her stay in Rangoon, the ship’s soccer team had many opportunities of proving itself, which it did in no mean fashion. Cricket and Rugger were also p layed and the ship provided several players for a combined Navy XV. The City was in a very disorganised state, but many forms of entertainment were improvised and everyone enjoyed their stay there. On the 17th June the Base Headquarters having been firmly established ashore, the ship set sail for Bombay once again, calling at Tincomalee and at M andapam on her way. The weather was 15
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kind to her and she arrived in Bombay harbour on the 27th, and learned that fourteen days leave could be granted to the ship’s company. Everyone welcomed this break and for one month, the ship’s company was scattered to the Four Corners of India, reaching as far afield as Karachi, Kashmir, Chaubatia, Calcutta and M adras.
By the 2nd August everyone was back on board again and ready for the next job to begin. The ship left Bombay on the 12th August and set sail for M andapam where there was to be a large-scale exercise, preparatory to embarking on the coming operation. No one knew where the operation would take place, but the ‘Galley Wireless’ put forward the opinion that Singapore or somewhere in M alaya would soon be seeing H.M .S. ‘Nith’. She called in at Cochin for a day or two on the way round and whilst she was there the greatest news of ‘V.J.’ day was announced. The celebrations on board that night had to be seen to be believed. The Main Brace was spliced and the ship fairly vibrated with the noise of the cheering and singing. Every rocket, signal cartridge and Very’s light in the ship was set off in once terrific fireworks display. Everyone had a grand time. The ship put to sea again on the 17th and continued her journey to M andapam, paying a brief visit to Colombo on the way. The exercise was still carried out despite the war being over, and a small, uninhabited island off the north East Coast of Ceylon was successfully invaded and subdued. M uch opposition was met from imaginary enemy forces, and quit a considerable number of imaginary prisoners were taken. After a few days to recover from the ‘Battle’, the ship left M andapam and pushed on northwards to M adras where the coming operation was being mounted. It was learned by this time that the landing would take place on the Malayan coast, just north of Singapore and what was to have been the ‘Invasion of M alaya’ had now become the ‘Occupation of M alaya’. That most reliable source of all rumours, the ‘Galley Wireless’ had been right once more.
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After a few days in harbour, ‘Nith’ left M adras for Port Swettenham in convoy with the ships that were carrying the forces of occupation. Her trip down the M alacca Straits was rather uncomfortable owing to the ever present danger of unswept mines, of which more than one ship had run foul in the same waters, but luckily, nothing untoward occurred and she arrived at Port Swettenham on the 9th September. Troops were put ashore at Ports Swettenham and Dickson and another operation was concluded.
Her job finished, the ship once more shaped course for Rangoon, where she stayed for about ten days for minor repairs. Having been to the port before, it held no new attractions for the ship’s company. However, sp orting facilities were still good and when the monsoon permitted, the ship’s soccer team set about p roving the reputation it had established during the previous visit to port. On the 29th September, Rangoon again disappeared astern and the course was set for Singapore. She sp ent one night there, another at Johore and the journey was continued to Bangkok for which port the ship carried the Naval H.Q. Staff. Then began one of the most enjoyable periods of ‘Nith’s’ sojourn in the East. Bangkok is an extremely pleasant city and the Siamese people did everything they could do to make the ship’s stay a happy one. Amusements were plentiful, and the nightlife was, to say the least, illuminating. The ship’s name will live long in the annals of many of the local Estaminets, for which many of the ship’s company provided nightly entertainment. The most popular man at these shows, without any doubt, was one of the seamen whose sp eciality was an Ap ache dance that had to be seen to be believed. The ship’s stay at Bangkok was interrupted for a short sp ell by a trip down to Singora in Western Siam where she had to take over six small Japanese craft and bring them back to Bangkok for transport duties. On the 28th November she finally left her paradise, leaving behind a few broken hearts and taking with her very many happy memories. Another visit was made to Singapore, staying for nearly three weeks at a time. The attractions of the place came as rather an anticlimax after the revelries at Bangkok. The city was very overcrowded and entertainment was limited. Sport was p ractically non-existent, but one game of soccer was arranged, and incidentally won.
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The ship sailed from Singapore on the 20th December for Saigon, where she sp ent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. On the latter occasion the age-old custom was observed, when the youngest, and second youngest members of the ship’s company became Captain and First Lieutenant resp ectively for the forenoon. The traditional Christmas Day ‘rounds’ were carried out and the ‘new Captain’s’ interpretation of a Commanding Officer’s duties caused much amusement. This was followed by defaulters parade, the high-light of which was when the Gunner was charged with being ‘slack in ship’s company’, the custom being that on Christmas M orning the Officers take round a cup of tea and a copy of the ship’s newsp aper to every man before he turns out of his hammock. This case caused a great deal of amusement and a fitting punishment was meted out to the erring gunner. On the whole it was a very successful Christmas Day and everyone had a good time and two bottles of beer apieceOn Boxing Day, the ship left Saigon and sailed down the Donnai River to shape course for Labuan, in British North Borneo, arriving there two days later. Her job was to sup ervise the landing of Indian troops who were to relieve the Australian forces already there. After leaving Labuan, the same duty was p erformed at Jesselton, a little further up the coast, and at Kuching in Sarawak. At the latter place she found that, although the troopship was there, packed with the Indian troops that were to relieve the Australians in the Sarawak area, the boats available for transferring the men from the ship to the shore were quite inadequate for the job and what boats there were, were of such a pattern and type, that the whole transfer might, quite possibly, have taken weeks to complete, so she took a hand herself and loaded her decks to capacity with troops and set off up the Kuching River. The scene was very reminiscent of Dunkirk days, only fortunately, in far happier circumstances. All the way up the river she was welcomed by cheering natives, and at times, almost had to p lough her way through the hordes of canoes and native fishing craft that put off from the banks to greet her. The ship was flying the first white ensign that they had seen since the war began. The Indians were eventually disembarked and their places taken by the Australian soldiers, all in very high sp irits at, having at last, been relieved. They were taken down the river and transferred to the waiting trooper, that took them on the first stage of their journey home to Australia.
New Years Eve was spent at Jesselton, and on that night the ship’s own concert was presented to the ship’s company and turned out to be a great success. It was ‘Nith’s’ first attempt at an organised concert and any doubts that any of the audience had, concerning its quality , were soon disp elled after the curtain had risen. The stage was just a set planks, laid across the depth charge racks on the quarterdeck, and the curtains were ensigns. These improvisations did nothing to mar the excellence of the show. By the time the final curtain fell, everyone was ho-
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ping that the sentiments expressed in the final chorus of ‘Let’s have another one’ would induce the concert party to produce a second edition of ‘The Nith’s Nigger M instrels’. Sixteen bells were sounded at midnight that night, by the Captain and the youngest rating in the ship, and 1946 was born. Her task in Borneo finished, ‘Nith’ once again set sail for saigon where she spent a few days, before continuing Southwards to Singapore, to prepare for her next job. On the 21st January, the ship again put to sea and shaped course for Macassa in the Celebes. The following day the equator was crossed, and the time-honoured tradition ‘Crossing the Line’ was observed. Everyone in the ship, from the Captain, to the most junior ordinary seaman, was tried by King Neptune’s court, given soap pills by the surgeon, shaved by the barber, and finally half drowned by the bears in the ship’s canvas swimming bath. By noon, every member of the ship’s company had been initiated as loyal subjects of His Aquatic M ajesty King Neptune, and the ship proceeded on her way round the South coast of Borneo to M acassa. Entertainment at M acassa was very limited but several swimming parties were arranged and a small band of the more adventurous sp irits visited M oros Falls, a well known beauty sp ot about thirty miles inland. During the ship’s stay at M acassa, the signal was received that everyone was waiting for, for the past twelve months. On completion of present duties, ‘Nith’ is to be routed to the UK via Singapore. From that time onwards, all electric irons in the ship were in full commission and a waiting list was even formed by men wanting to press blue uniforms and clothes that had been stowed away in the bottom of their lockers since Suez on the outward journey. M acassa was left astern on the 1st February, and the homeward journey had begun. Stops were made at Singapore and Colombo and several very disappointed men who were unlucky enough to belong to the higher age and service groups were drafted ashore so that other men, who were soon to be released from the Navy, could take passage home in the ship. Another visit was paid to Bombay and happened to coincide with the mutiny of the Royal Indian Navy. As senior British ship in the harbour, ‘Nith’ took control of all the shipping present. For two days the situation was very tense. The ship’s wireless sets were worked to capacity , receiving instructions from the Commander-in-Chief, reporting the situation to him and broadcasting orders to the mutineers to surrender. However, by the time the Cruiser
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H.M .S. ‘Glasgow’ had arrived to take control of the situation, all the Indian ships had hoisted the black flags of surrender. Having added the mutiny to the annuals of her chequered career, ‘Nith’ left Bombay and continued on her homeward journey. Calls were paid at Aden and Gibraltar, and there was no doubt at all that the draft of the ship was considerably increased at both these ports with the quantity of presents and ‘rabbits’ that were brought aboard. Slight delays were caused by a sandstorm in the Suez Canal and by rough weather in the Mediterranean, but they only served to increase the pleasure of anticipation of finally reaching England’s shores. At Gibraltar she found that even then, her tasks had not been completed, and she had to tow another vessel as far as Plymouth. Luckily, the weather in the Atlantic was very kind to her and very little time was lost. At ten minutes to four in the afternoon of M arch 28th, the Captain announced over the loudspeakers – ‘There, gentlemen, lying off the port bow is the sight you have all been waiting for – England’. In a moment, the guardrails were lined with men, straining their eyes through the channel fog, as the ghostly outline of Eddystone lighthouse came into view. It was a great moment for everyone. After leaving her tow at Plymouth, the ship set course for Harwich past a coastline that brought back many memories; some good, some bad. She was delayed once more in the Thames Estuary by a ty pical English ‘Pea-soup er’, but even the cold, clammy wetness of the fog couldn’t damp the terrific feeling that was everywhere in the ship, and when, at last, she sailed past Felixstowe and Shotley to berth at Harwich, words cannot describe the exhilaration felt by everybody on board. For many, it meant the end of their sea-goings and the finale of their naval career and for everyone, it was an end of an exile from homes and families. When all on board had had their leave, work began to prepare the ship for acceptance into the reserve fleet, for that was to be her fate. This old lady had done her work, and done it well. Now she was to retire for a well-earned rest. And so the story ends; not an outstanding story by any means, just the story of a ship. Like so many others, she fought the enemy and won through.
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THE SUEZ CRISIS History of the S uez Canal
The Suez Canal was op ened in 1869, construction took ten years which was financed by the French and Egyptian governments. The canal was op erated by the Universal Company of the Suez M aritime Canal, an Egyptian-chartered company; the area surrounding the canal remained sovereign Egyptian territory and the only land-bridge between Africa and Asia.
The canal instantly became strategically important; it provided the shortest link between the M editerranean and the Indian Ocean. The canal eased commerce for trading nations and particularly helped European colonial powers to gain and govern their colonies. In 1875, as a result of debt and financial crisis, the Egyptian ruler was forced to sell his shares in the canal operating company to the British government of Benjamin Disraeli. They were willing buyers and obtained a 44 percent share in the canal's operations; this maintained the majority shareholdings of the mostly French private investors. With the 1882 invasion and occupation of Egypt, the United Kingdom took de facto control of the country as well as the canal proper, and its finances and operations.
The 1888 Convention of Constantinople declared the canal a neutral zone under British protection.[26] In ratifying it, the Ottoman Empire agreed to permit international shipping to pass freely through the canal, in time of war and peace. The Convention came into force in 1904, the same year as the Entente cordiale, between Britain and France. Desp ite this convention, the strategic importance of the Suez Canal and its control were proven during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, after Japan and Britain entered into a separate bilateral agreement (Desp ite the fact that North east shipyards built vessels for both sides!). Following the Japanese surp rise attack on the Russian Pacific Fleet based at Port 22
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Arthur the Russians sent reinforcements from their fleet in the Baltic Sea. The British denied the Russian fleet use of the canal and forced it to steam around the entire continent of Africa, giving the Japanese forces time to solidify their position in the Far East.(The Russian fleet, hoping to surp rise the Japanese, sailed past the waiting fleet in fog and as the visibility improved the Russians found themselves being attacked from behind!
The importance of the canal as a strategic intersection was again apparent during the First World War, when Britain and France closed the canal to non-Allied shipping. The attempt by German-Ottoman forces to storm the Canal in February 1915 led the British to commit 100,000 troops to the defence of Egypt for the rest of the War. The canal continued to be strategically important after the Second World War with Great Britain maintaining its empire and as the demand for oil grew traffic increased until the emergence of the super tankers, which were too big for the canal. The possibility of the Canal being closed to troopships makes the question of the control and regime of the Canal as important to Britain today as it ever was. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Britain was reassessing its role in the region in light of the severe economic constraints and its colonial history. Britain's military strength was sp read throughout the region, including the vast military complex at Suez with a garrison of some 80,000, making it one of the largest military installations in the world. The Suez base was considered an important part of Britain's strategic position in the Middle East; however, increasingly it became a source of growing tension in Anglo-Egyptian relations. Egypt's post-war domestic politics were experiencing a radical change, prompted in no small part by economic instability, inflation, and unemployment. Unrest began to manifest itself in the growth of radical political groups, such as the M uslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and an increasingly hostile attitude towards Britain and its presence in the country . Britain’s role in the creation of Israel didn’t help relations. As a result, anti-British policy began to permeate Egypt's relations with Britain. In October 1951, the Egyptian government unilaterally abrogated the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936, the terms of which granted Britain a lease on the Suez base for 20 more years. Britain refused to withdraw from Suez, relying upon its treaty rights, as well as the sheer presence of the Suez garrison. The price of such a course of action was a steady 23
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escalation in increasingly violent hostility towards Britain and British troops in Egypt, which the Egyptian authorities did little to curb. On 25 January 1952, British attempts to disarm a troublesome auxiliary police force barracks in Ismailia resulted in the deaths of 41 Egyptians. This in turn led to anti-Western riots in Cairo resulting in heavy damage to property and the deaths of several foreigners, including 11 British citizens. This proved to be a catalyst for the removal of the Egyptian monarchy. On 23 July 1952 a military coup by the Egyptian nationalist 'Free Officers M ovement'—led by M uhammad Neguib and future Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser—overthrew King Farouk and established an Egyptian republic. Britain's desire to mend Anglo-Egyptian relations in the wake of the coup saw her strive for rapprochement throughout 1953 and 1954. Part of this process was the agreement, in 1953, to terminate British rule in Sudan by 1956 in return for Cairo's abandoning of its claimover the Nile Valley region. In October 1954, Britain and Egypt concluded an agreement on the phased evacuation of British troops from the Suez base, the terms of which agreed to withdrawal of all troops within 20 months, maintenance of the base to be continued, and for Britain to hold the right to return for seven years The Suez Canal Company was not due to revert to the Egyptian government until 16 November 1968 under the terms of the treaty.
Britain's close relationship with Iraq and Jordan were of particular concern to Nasser. He saw the relationship with these Hashemite kingdoms as a threat to his ambitions to lead the Arab world. The creation of the Baghdad Pact in 1955 seemed to confirm Nasser's fears that Britain was attempting to draw the Eastern Arab World into a bloc centred upon Iraq, and sy mpathetic to Britain. Nasser's response was a series of challenges to British influence in the region that would culminate in the Suez Crisis.
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The Suez Crisis, also known as the Tripartite Aggression, and the Kadesh Operation was an invasion of Egypt in late 1956 by Israel, followed by Britain and France. The aims were to regain Western control of the Suez Canal and to remove Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser from power. After the fighting had started, the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Nations forced the three invaders to withdraw. The episode humiliated Great Britain and France and strengthened Nasser.
On October 29, Israel invaded the Egyptian Sinai. Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to cease fire, which was ignored. On November 5, Britain and France landed paratroopers along the Suez Canal at El Gamil, these included 668 paratroopes of the 3rd battalion of the Parachute Regiment.. The Egyptian forces were defeated, but they did block the canal to all shipping. It became clear that the Israeli invasion and the subsequent Anglo-French attack had been planned beforehand by the three countries.
The three allies had attained a number of their military objectives, but the Canal was now useless and heavy pressure from the United States and the USSR forced them to withdraw. U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had strongly warned Britain not to invade; he now threatened serious damage to the British financial sy stem. Historians conclude the crisis "signified the end of Great Britain's role as one of the world's major powers". Peden in 2012 states, "The Suez crisis is widely believed to have contributed significantly to Britain's decline as a world power." The Suez Canal was closed from October 1956 until M arch 1957. Israel fulfilled some of its objectives, such as attaining freedom of navigation through the Straits of Tiran.
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As a result of the conflict, the United Nations created the UNEF Peacekeepers to police the Egyptian–Israeli border, British Prime M inister Anthony Eden resigned, Canadian M inister of External Affairs Lester Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize, and the USSR may have been emboldened to invade Hungary.
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BRITISH VESSELS SOLD TO EGYPT & ISRAEL After World War 2 the British Government sold of many of the now obsolete warships. Several of these were sold to both Egypt and Israel. No less than 3 of these vessels were to end up as wreck in Egyptian waters. HM S ZEALOUS( INS EILATH) HM S Zealous was a Z-class destroyer of the Royal Navy built in 1944 by Cammell Laird. She served during the Second World War, participating in operations in the North Sea and off the Norwegian coast, before taking part in some of the Arctic convoys. She sp ent a further ten years in Royal Navy service after the end of the war, before being sold to the Israeli Navy, which operated her as INS Eilat. She saw action during the Suez Crisis in 1956, attacking Egyptian ships and was still active by the outbreak of the Six-Day War in 1967. She was sunk several months after the conflict by missiles launched from several small Egyptian missile boats; this made her the first vessel to be sunk by a missile boat in wartime. SEE PAGE 35
HM S WHIM BREL U29 ( El M alekFarouq1949, El Tiriq 1954)
HM S Whimbrel is the last surviving Royal Navy warship present at the Japanese Surrender in World War II. She was a sloop of the Black Swan-class, laid down on 31 October 1941 to the pennant number of U29 at the famed yards of Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun, Glasgow. Launched on 25 August 1942 almost nine months after laying down which was about average for this class of vessel. She was commissioned on the 13 January 1943 and was to primarily serve in the Atlantic as part of several escort groups. In 1945 she was sent to the Pacific for the last few months in war being part of the large exodus of ships there. She was present at the Japanese surrender. In November 1949 she was sold to Egypt and renamed El Malek Farouq. In 1954 she was renamed Tariq. A p reservation attempt launched in 2006 aimed to bring her to Canning Dock Liverpool as a memorial to those who died on the Atlantic Convoys. On 26 M arch 2008 a plaque celebrating the ship was presented to the M ayor of Sefton. John Livingston, president of the Liverpool branch of the Whimbrel Project, said: "She’d be a marvellous addition to our waterfront and a reminder of the sacrifice of our seamen". The M ayor of Sefton, Cllr Richard Hands, said: "HMS Whimbrel forms a unique part of both our social and maritime history and I fully sup port the campaign to bring her back to Liverpool". The attempt stalled when it was not possible to agree a price with the Egyptian Government.
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HMS ZENITH (Al FATEH)
Built by William Denny of Dunbarton in 1944 as a Z class Destroyer. She was 362 ft long,1710 tons and had a sp eed of 37 knots, driven by 2 geared turbines. With a compliment of 186, she was armed with 4 4.5 inch guns, 5 400 guns and 8 torpedo tubes. She saw little action during WW2 serving in the far east. She was then placed on reserve until her proposed conversion to a Tyne Class frigate was cancelled and in M ay 1955 she was sold, along with her sister ship M yings to the Egyptian Navy. She was used as a training ship, and was last reported to be berthed in Alexandria harbour. HMS MYNGS (AL QAHER)
Built by Vickers Armstrong on the Ty ne and launched in 1943, HM S M yngs (R06) saw action off the Norwegian coast. She was fitted with turbine engines and drum boilers capable of some 35 knots. They had a displacement of 1710 tons and were 360ft long, similar in many ways to the successful “C” Class. Her armament included; 4×114mm guns (4×I-DP) 3 40mm cannon, 20 40mm pom pom and 8 torpedo tubes See her full story PAGE 39
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HMS MENDIP (INS Haifa)
HM S Mendip (L60) was a Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was a member of the first subgroup of the class. The ship is notable for seeing service in the navies of three other nations after her use by the Royal Navy She saw service in the Second World War and later as an Egyptian Navy ship in the Suez Crisis. She was captured in battle on 31 October 1956 by the Israeli Navy and re-commissioned as INS Haifa (K-38). Mendip was ordered under the 1939 Naval Building Programme from Swan Hunter at Wallsend on 17 Ap ril 1939 She was laid down as Job No. J4111 on 10 August 1939 and launched on 9 Ap ril 1940 Mendip arrived at the Home Fleet's base at Scapa Flow on 14 October, but sustained damage when one of her own depth charges exploded during work up exercises. She was repaired and resumed work up on 18 February 1941. On 30 M arch she was assigned to the 21st Destroyer Flotilla at Sheerness for convoy escort and patrol duties in the North Sea and English Channel. From 1942 to 1944, she escorted 25 convoys through the North Sea. She was lent to the Chinese Navy in M ay 1948, together with HM S Aurora, and was renamed Lin Fu, after major general Zhang Ling Fu, commander of the 74th division, who fell during the Chinese Civil War. After Aurora(renamed Chung King) defected to the communists in February 1949, she was repossessed by Royal Navy in June 1949 and re-commissioned with the ship's company of HM S Consort. She was sold to the Egyptian navy, becoming Mohamed ali-El-Kebir on 15 November 1949. She was renamed Ibrahim-El-Awal later in 1951.
Ibrahim el Awal being towed to the port of Haifa after being captured by the Israeli Navy
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As part of the naval operations during the Suez crisis, Egypt dispatched Ibrahim el Awal on 30 October 1956, to Haifa with the aim of shelling that city’s coastal oil installations. On 31 October Ibrahim el Awal reached Haifa and began bombarding the city with her four 102 mm (4 inch) guns. The French destroyer Kersaint, which was deployed in Haifa harbour to guard the port as part of Op eration M usketeer, opened fire on Ibrahim el Awal but scored no hits.[2] Soon after, Israeli warships challenged Ibrahim el Awal and the Egyptian warship immediately retreated. The Israeli warships gave chase and together with the Israeli Air Force, succeeded in damaging the vessel’s turbo generator and rudder. Left without power and unable to steer, Ibrahim el Awal surrendered to the Israeli navy.
The twin 4-inch gun of INS Haifa The Egyptian destroyer was subsequently incorporated into the Israeli navy and renamed Haifa. ]She served with the Israeli navy through the late 1960s, when she was decommissioned. According to one source, she was relegated to duty as a target ship in 1968 and sunk as a target ship after being hit by a Gabriel missile. Other sources write that she was deployed for training duties until 1970, then relegated to the role of accommodation ship before being scrapped in 1972 One of her twin 4-inch gun turrets and a depth charge thrower has been preserved at the Clandestine Immigration and Naval M useum, Haifa.
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THE SINKING OF THE DOM IAT
There are conflicting reports as to the actions taken in the sinking of the Domiat two are recorded here.
Eyewitness account from HM S Newfoundland "We cracked off up the Red Sea at twenty knots and the next morning were bidden shift into Action Working Dress. This flummoxed some of the officers who had long since stopped bothering to cart that sort of kit - denim trousers, flash-proof shirts - around with them. It might have been "Any one for tennis?" for some of them rather than "Hands to Action Stations". Scratch (the Captain's Secretary) even turned out in a silk shirt. We were then issued with lifebelts, and lights for the same, and First Field Dressings to be carried in our respirator haversacks. Even the dimmest began to think Something might be Up. Keeping loose station on us was the Daring-class heavy destroyer Diana. We rigged and adjusted our lighting at night so as to look as far as possible like two merchant ships. By now we were under the command of C-in-C M editerranean (Admiral Sir Guy Grantham) whose instructions (which reached us via Vancouver - no satellite comms in those days) were interpreted as orders to seek out and destroy the Egyptian Navy. Communications were a continuing problem and a rendezvous signal to bring our tanker, RFA Wave Sovereign further north never reached her. A midnight 30th/31st the balloon went up and we cracked on to full sp eed. On the Wednesday 31st we went to cruising stations, with anti-aircraft readiness (4" and Bofors manned) by day and surface readiness (6", and one 4" per side for starshell) by night, on a three-watch system, assuming we should have the time to go to full Action Stations if required. That afternoon Newfoundland had to fuel Diana, with consequences for Newfy later. All our radars started to show signs of strain. At least one would usually go off the board when the 6" were fired and fires in the sets were not infrequent. That's just the way radar, with its rather warm thermionic valves (valves, Grandpa?) was in those days. We also used to get odd anomalous propagation effects (anaprop), whereby echoes from very distant objects would return after the pulse had been repeated. The result was that a target at, say 200 miles, would paint as if at 100 or closer. In this way we even at one point "saw" our M editerranean Fleet doing its rather more publicised thing off Port Said. For all of this period I stood my watch in the Air Direction Room (ADR) and had a pretty good idea of what was going on, even if I could not see out. 33
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It was Hallowe'en. At dusk on 31st we went formally to Action Stations. In the ADR I could hear the war-cries over various broadcasts. "Six-inch closed up, cleared away" "Four-inch closed up, cleared away" and so forth. "This is PCO [Principal Control Officer]. Policy SURFACE. Provide HE fuzed DA [Direct Action]. Lookout bearings standard. GDR [Gun Direction Room] directing. All positions STAND TO!" We were then stood down to "Action Stations Relaxed" and a proportion were allowed to curl up and caulk where they could. The other ADR M id. sloped off to the Radar Disp lay Room, an annexe of the ADR, and settled down for a night's sleep in a quiet corner. For some while we just roared along with nothing happening. Then on the Armament Broadcast "LOAD THE HOISTS!" We had been tipped off that an Egyptian warship was thought to be laying mines in the area and then that one was bullying neutral merchantmen. Captain Hamilton, who obviously knew much more than he could let on, studied the plot. Pointed to a contact. "That one looks fishy ". Then: "Six-inch Surface, Red 40" "Director Radar" "Six-inch, Broadsides!" "All guns with HE/DA and Full Charge LOAD LOAD LOAD!" Gun Ready lamps come on: "Six-inch Radar" "ENGAGE!" "Fixed sight procedure" (Blimey - this is close) "SHOOT" Ding-ding on the fire gong WOOM FAH! The whole ship shook as I had never felt her shake before. We were firing on the beam with the guns almost horizontal. Away went a nine-gun, full charge, full-calibre cruiser broadside of 130 pound High Effect shell, smack into the bridge structure of the Egyptian frigate Domiat, about 1400 y ards away. It wasn't quite as straight forward as that. For a start there had been some hectic ordnance work in the Director where the main sight had been in pieces all the afternoon. Then the Gunnery Officer couldn't believe he was really being asked to fire at an actual ship and Hamilton had to order him to Op en Fire. What someone with an attitude like that was doing in Gunnery goodness knows; Hamilton got rid of him as soon as he could afterwards. At "SHOOT" there was a further hiatus as the Midshipman in the Director couldn't see the target. He could see a ship, just, but not the large rectangle of canvas he had been carefully drilled to expect. Shouts from the Transmitting Station, far below, of "Pull the ------- trigger" put this right. M eanwhile the Domiat, illuminated by our 20" Signal Projector, had acknowledged our signal to 'Stop or I Fire' - L in International Code - but was visibly turning towards us. Rather fresh for a G---o. We could see their hands running to man their guns - puny 4" - so there was some urgency to get one in first. Domiat's Officer of the Watch later said that she saw us just before we illuminated her and he confirmed that she had turned to ram. However with the first broadside we settled in and every ten seconds there was the CRASH! of another one, beautiful rhythm. This was the music of my Country's guns and no sound 34
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would ever be so sweet again. As Lord Fisher put it "What we want is Gunnery, Gunnery and more Gunnery!" As the geometry changed and the bearing drew forward the odd cry - "Y turret will not bear" but the job was being done. Our next broadside smashed into Domiat's bows and ignited her paintshop so that her bows glowed cherry red in the dark night. Diana, astern, had seen Domiat turn and got in seventeen rounds of 4.5" from her A and B. As we closed the range the 4" and Bofors joined in and the Captain of one of the port Bofors later received a DSM for his good work hosing Domiat's deck down with 40mm. Y turret was able to join in again later. After five minutes or so, at 0130, and after 51 rounds of 6" in nine broadsides we checked fire because the Domiat was visibly sinking. She capsized and sank five minutes later. We picked up two Egyptian officers out of the water, and Diana recovered 67 other survivors, but then we decided that hanging about in the area might be silly because of the MTB threat, so asked a nearby South African merchantman - what must they have thought about all the pyrotechnics? to see if they could find any more people in the ocean. She was one of a large number of merchant ships getting out of the Gulf of Suez just as quick as they could. An alternative account by Harry Gibbon On the evening of 31 October 1956, with Egypt and Britain being at war during the Suez Canal crisis, the HM S Newfoundland, a British Fiji-class cruiser, was patrolling the Red Sea south of Suez. She encountered a darkened ship passing here in the opposite direction. The Newfoundland closed to 1,500 yards, and came parallel to this ship, signalling it to heave-to or be fired upon. The darkened ship signaled acknowledgement and appeared to slow down. Then it extinguished its running lights and trained her guns on the Newfoundland who then immediatley opened fire. This was at approximately 0130 on 01 November 1956. The ship, later identified as the Egyptian Navy Frigate Domiat, had just left the port of Adabieh on its way to rendevouz with the Egyptian Frigate Rosetta, began returning fire a moment later. By all accounts given, the Egyptian sailors on board the ship bravely returned fire, scoring a few hits on the Newfoundland causing some damage and a few injuries with her 4-inch shells. However, the Domiat was no match for the British cruiser and, after her bridge and wheelhouse had been destroyed, among other battle damage, the Domiat soon capsized, and sank after being finished off by the HM S Diana (Daring Class destroyer), under the command of Capt. J. Gowers, when it was thought that the Domiat was trying to ram her. The Newfoundland and Diana rescued 69 survivors from the wreckage. Egyptian casualties were reported as being 6 officers and 50 sailors. British casualties, 6 sailors.
For the remainder of the day, we exercised ‘Action Stations’ and were issued with anti flash gear. ‘Op eration M usketeer’ had commenced.
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On the evening of the 31st of October, Eagle, Bulwark and Albion, together with many other warships, arrived in a position some ninety-five miles west of Port Said in an area that was known as operational area ‘Alpha’. The British contingent consisted of, our three carriers plus Ocean and Theseus, four cruisers, 13 destroyers, six frigates and five submarines. Of these, one cruiser, HM S Newfoundland together with a destroyer and two frigates were positioned at the southern end of the Suez Canal,. That same evening down in the Gulf of Aqaba, HM S Newfoundland was on patrol when a contact was picked up of a possible enemy ship at close range. Sub Lieutenant John Finlay was on watch on Newfoundland’s bridge at the time and recalls that when the enemy ship was ordered to stop immediately, the order was ignored. Newfoundland was by this time approximately 1800yards away and port side on to the suspect vessel. The searchlight was switched on to reveal the Egyptian Frigate, Domiat, which was the ex RN HM S Nith which had earlier been sold to Egypt. The crew of Domiat were seen to be running to action stations, so Captain Hamilton of the Newfoundland ordered his gunners to open fire. The Domiat received several direct hits but at the same time, Domiat returned the fire and the Newfoundland received a hit on what had formerly been the ship's hangar. One Chinese sailor was killed and five others wounded. A seaman gunner on Newfoundland scored a further direct hit on the 4.5 gun turret of Domiat with the 40mm gun he was operating. Domiat began to break up and sank within minutes.
One of the shell holes received from the Egyptian frigate Domiat (Ex H.M.S. Nith) at Suez crisis 1956. This hit was in the pay office, situated right below 'B' turret.
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H.M.S. NEWFOUNDLAND
CEYLON or Colony-Class cruiser ordered from Swan Hunter, Newcastle on Tyne under 1939 Estimates and was laid down on 9th November 1939. The ship was launched on 19th December 1941 by M rs Ernest Bevin, wife of the Minister of Labour, and was the first RN ship to carry this name. Build was completed on 31st December 1942 and she was adopted by the civil community of Wolverhampton in place of HM Cruiser CURACOA which had sunk in a tragic collision with RM S QUEEN M ARY on 2nd October 1942. This ship has also a significant association with the colony whose name she bore. The community of the colony had provided ÂŁ100,000 by public subscription towards the cost of her build. Ap art from visit in May 1944 the ship did not visit the colony again but her activities were always of interest to Newfoundlanders.
H.M.S. DIANA
HMS Diana was one of the Daring class of destroyers planned during the Second World War by the Royal Navy. The design therefore reflected developments of the Pacific campaign, including long range and the ability to efficiently Replenish At Sea (RAS). Built at Clydebank, Glasgow by Yarrow and Co, yard #1846, she was launched M ay 1952. She was 390ft long, 53ft beam and had a draught of 13ft 6 inches.3820 tons and propulsion consisted of 2 Parsons steam turbines. She had a sp eed of 30knots and a range of 4400nmi. Her armament included six 4.5 “ guns, 2 40mm bofors,five torpedo tubes, 1 triple squid anti submarine mortars 37
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SEARCH AND DISCOVERY In 1999, the Red Sea Wreck Academy began its programme of locating wrecks further north of the area close to the Thistlegorm. Starting with the Ashrafi Islands and moving north up into the Gulf of Suez, several wrecks were located in shallow water; Zietieh, M uhansa, Attiki, Bachus, Elliot, Birchwood and Laura security. Reaching as far north as Ras Shukier, the crew became accustomed to being out of their comfort zone of the Straits of Gobul and Shukier became the staging post for targets further north. The Hy drographic department had provided us with a large number of targets-some beyond the scope of our team in team in terms of depth-our mandate was to locate wrecks within the 40 mtr sport limit. M any wrecks were to be located as we travelled further and Further north; Scalaria, Aboudy , Turkia were dived surveyed and identified. Cape Clear, Domiat and several other deeper wrecks were located, but use as equipment test runs and put on the back burner. The Turkia became headline news and started to attract other wreck divers to the area. The above are all documented in “Shipwrecks of Suez” One wreck though ,had proved elusive-the SS Shillong- and despite sup erb intel, precise Documentation, state of the art wreck location equipment , a flat sea bed and big target she has resisted all attempts to locate her. After 7 expeditions to locate her we concluded she had been abducted by aliens…and decided to suspend the hunt until some new or conflicting evidence came to light. Shillong would have been the jewel in the crown-a major find in kind depths, with a great story behind her. The Turkia had also provided a good historical bonus, but the Domiat beckoned- a British Corvette sunk by a British Cruiser. We had her location we just needed the right team and the right conditions. We were also aware that other groups wanted to follow us, after a failed attempt to bribe our captain for her location! So in July 2013 we allocated 3 weeks to survey the wreck- we ended up with a 30 minute period due to poor weather. Locating the wreck was easy, almost too easy for the excited onlookers on board the mothership. If they were anticipating a long search they were mistaken. She rose up from the flat surrounding sea bed onto the screen leaving no doubt as to her location. Some of the guests needed to be convinced I hadn’t found her previously! If only we had had the same luck with the Shillong. With an increasing wind and lifting sea we had to be quick. With no surrounding reef and only a sandy bottom securing the boat would be difficult.The captain was uneasy, mindful of the huge vessels plowing up and down the Suez. To my shock and amazement Captain Abulla started to kit up - he would buddy me as we tied into the wreck-he was going to plunge 46 mtrs with a rope, single 12ltr and no computer. His prep was to say his prayers on the fantail before descending………Allah El Bar! or is it Insh Allah?
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THE WRECK TODAY The wreck appears out of the gloom from 30 mtrs lying on her starboard side with her midships at 46 mtrs. She is guarded by huge potato cod like groupers-dozens of them!It was evident that they had never seen divers before-and they were defiant, huge and intimidating they remained transfixed until the very last second then retreated to the nearest vantage point.
I was surp rised at the lack of damage- I had expected her sup erstructure to be missing, given the damage report from the sinking, but even the searchlight tower lay resting on the seabed, located aft of the bridge. Her Funnel too was still in place. Twin props adorned her stern and her guns and her hedgehogs* clearly visible. The initial feeling was that she was intact, and certainly had not been salvaged. Artefacts such as mast head lamps littered the wreck. Sufficient evidence to prove once again we were the first. No doubt others would in time claim the same. The lack of damage was p uzzling perhaps her starboard hull took most of the punishment and is hidden from view. Perhaps the witness reports were coloured for effect. Never the less here she is and the mystery provides us with a challenging return. We will need to return with trimix to investigate the deeper reaches of the wreck
*see page 51 39
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Intact a/a gun post (above) and intact funnel (below) are just twoofher any featues still in their rigtfull place.
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Nets and fishing lines were a hazard but only in some areas of the wreck. The bow is partially buried in the seabed of sand-there seems to be little or no surrounding reef or coral as we expected. Several areas can be penetrated, but again require planning and the right gear for the job/Her bridge, engine room and quarters beckon. At this depth a serious undertaking. Not since the discovery of the Rosalie M oller have I felt so elated and excited over a new find. True we have located many interesting and indeed puzzling wrecks but the Domait captures the imagination, and poses many questions about her sinking.
Her guns remain in pklace to, both the 4 “ and the a/a guns in circular mounts. To date time on the wreck has been very limited and it hasn’t been possible to determine just how much current flows over the wreck, although on two dives it was strong and the huge coral bushes on her hull would also suggest strong water movement., but with many more expeditions p lanned we will piece together a full picture of this sup erb wreck. Her history demands it.
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Standing proud, the searchlight deck and gunnery posts ad to the intactness of the wreck
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Her twin props are a magnificent sight-I have contemplated removing the ropes to get a better image, but time restricts that idea!
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TWINS AT WAR THE ISRAELI WARSHIP EILAT
A Zam besi class destroyer built in 1943 at Vickers Arm strong, Newcastle on Tyne. She was 340 ft x 33 ft x 12ft, fitted with twin geared Parsons turbines giving them a speed of 35knots .
The Israeli destroyer had been the Z Class HM S Zealous, built by Vickers Arm strong during 1943. She was one of many vessels of her type, a fast anti-submarine destroyer. M any off her sister ships had names beginning with Z, thus the classification; Zambesi, Zebra, Zest etc. made them fast and sleek; ideal for hunting and destroying submarines. By 1955 these vessels were deemed obsolete and surplus to the Royal Navies needs and were either scrapped or sold off. Two of these vessels HM S Zealous and HM S Zodiac were sold to Israel, and two, HM S Zenith and HM S M yngs (they must have run out of names beginnin g with Z) to Egypt. On October 21st 1967 during the Six Day War the Eilat was 14 miles off Port Said when she was sunk with 4 “Styx� missiles from the Egyptian-Komar class missile carrying gunships. Forty-seven of her crew died with many of the 151 survivors injured. She had been zigzagging in the bay off Romani, in and out of territorial waters, taunting Egyptian radar. A month earlier she had sunk two Egyptian gun boats. She was the first vessel to be sunk by missiles. The wreck has been located in 21mtrs of water14 miles north east of Port Said.
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69 SQUADRON ISRAELI AIR FORCE. 69 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force (also known as The Hammers) was formed in 1948 and made its combat debut on July 15, 1948 when Israeli bombers struck targets in Cairo, Egypt. In its first ten years of op eration, 69 Squadron was composed of former US Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft, beginning with three B-17s in 1948. The B-17s were transferred to 103 Squadron in 1954 and were placed in storage for several months in 1956. In October 1956, 69 Squadron was reactivated for the Sinai Campaign but was disbanded at the end of that conflict. Thirteen years later, in 1969, 69 Squadron was reformed as the second Israeli Air Force F-4E Phantom squadron. Commanded by Avihu Ben-Nun. It was quickly pressed into service in the ongoing War of Attrition. Between late 1969 and the ceasefire of August 1970, 69 and 201 Squadrons lost nine aircraft altogether, although Israel received eight additional F-4E Phantoms in July 1970. Alongside regular F-4Es, 69 Squadron also employed the reconnaissance variant of the Phantom, the RF-4E. During the Yom Kippur war of 1973, the squadron lost several aircraft. 69 Squadron was disbanded in the mid1990s
Al Fatha, is currently a billet and training ship of the Egyptian Navy in Alexandria harbour.
IN S Eilat
From October 1945 until August 1946 Zealous served in the 4th Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Home Fleet. From 1947 until 1950 she w as held in reserve at Devonport. Between 1950 and 1951 she underw ent a refit at Cardiff. Between 1953 and 1954 she was held in reserve at Penarth.
She was sold to Israel in 1955 and commissioned into the Israeli Navy as INS Eilat (after the Israeli southern coastal city of Eilat, replacing the earlier INS Eilat) in July 1956. On the morning of 31 October, in the midst of the Suez Crisis, Egyptian destroyer Ibrahim al-Awal, former Hunt-class HM S Mendip, shelled Haifa harbor. A counter-attack by the French destroyer Kersaint and Israeli Yaffo and Eilat forced the Egyptian destroyer to steam back towards Port Said. It was then also attacked by a pair of IDF/AF Ouragans and a Dakota. The 45
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crew of the badly damaged vessel finally capitulated, and the ship was towed by the Israelis to Haifa, later becoming the Haifa in the Israeli Navy. Eilat was on p atrol during the night of 11–12 July 1967, when she and two Israeli torpedo boats came across two Egyptian torpedo boats off the Rumani coast. They immediately engaged the vessels and sank both. Eilat was sunk on 21 October 1967 in international waters off Port Said in the Sinai by three Styx missiles launched by Egyptian missile boats. An Egyptian Komar-class missile boat positioned within the harbour at Port Said fired two missiles at the Israeli destroyer. Eilat 's radar did not reveal any suspicious activity or movements because the missile boat was still inside the port when the missiles were fired. Desp ite evasive action being ordered by the captain when the missiles were detected, the first missile hit the ship just above the waterline at 17:32 hours. Two minutes later, the second missile struck causing additional casualties. While Eilat began to list heavily, the crew tended to the wounded and engaged in rescue and repair operations while waiting for additional ships of the Israeli Navy to come to her rescue. But around an hour later, another Egyptian Komar-class missile boat from Port Said harbour fired two more Styx missiles at Eilat. The third missile hit Eilat amidships, causing more damage and further fires, while the fourth went astray and crashed in the water nearby. Eilat sank about two minutes later. Out of a crew of 199, 47 were killed and more than a hundred were wounded.
The sinking just months after its defeat in the Six Day War caused brief jubilation in the Arab World and crowds gathered to cheer the two missile boats upon their return to Port Said. In Israel, angry crowds surrounded Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin and newsp aper editorials demanded vengeance.3 after the attack Israel retaliated by shelling Port Suez with heavy mortars. Two of the site's three oil refineries were destroyed with the smallest one left standing. The refineries produced all of Egypt's cooking and heating gas, and 80% of its oil. Other areas of the city were hit. Israel ignored or pleaded "technical difficulties" to UN requests for a ceasefire. The Soviet Union sent seven warships on a "courtesy call" to Egyptian ports to dissuade Israel from further attacks.
Torpedo t ubes f rom IN S Eilat
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Monument to the Fallen of IN S Eilat, Haifa. Sculptor: Igael Tumark in (Credit: Dr Avishai Teicher)
The sinking of Eilat by surf ace-to-surface missiles inaugurated a new era in the development of naval w eapons and the formulation of naval strategy throughout the w orld. Though not highly publicized at the time, the sinking had a considerable impact on the Israeli Navy. Israel started to develop plans for German influenced ship designs better suited to missile combat, principally small and efficient boats armed w ith missiles, able to patrol Israeli shores and undertake offshore operations at high speed, w hile at the same time able to evade enemy tracking and missiles. The resulting focus on new , more agile, missile-armed boats w ould reap major benefits for the Israeli navy some six years later during the Yom Kippur War. A set of torpedo tubes removed from Eilat are preserved at the Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum, Haifa, and a Monument to the Fallen of INS Eilat w as established just outside the Museum, the w ork of sculptor Igael Tumarkin.
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OPERATION KESHET AVARA (ARIEL BOW) ~EL QAHER
Built by Vickers Armstrong on the Tyne and launched in 1943, HM S M yngs (R06) saw action off the Norwegian coast. She was fitted with turbine engines and drum boilers capable of some 35 knots. They had a disp lacement of 1710 tons and were 360ft long, similar in many ways to the successful “C” Class. Her armament included; 4×114mm guns (4×IDP) 3 40mm cannon, 20 40mm pom pom and 8 torpedo tubes
The border town of Port Berenice, sheltered by the long curving nose of Ras Banas, must have seen some nautical comings and goings over the last 2000 years. The bones of many ships will no doubt lie deep in the sand. The scant remains of the stern of the Altas seem to diminish as the years go by. Several other wrecks lie here too, but diving them is very difficult and heavily restricted. In 1955 the Royal Navy decommissioned several of its “Z” (Zambesi) class destroyers. These were fast (35knot) vessels, sleek and manoeuvrable and designed primarily as sub chasers. While many of the vessels were scrapped, four were sold on - Two to Egypt - HM S M yngs (to become the Al Qaher), HM S Zenith (to become the Al Fatha ) and two to Israel, HM S Zealous and HM S Zodiac( to be renamed INS Eilat and Yaffa respectively).
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Sold to Egypt in 1955 and renamed the El Qaher, serving in the Egyptian Navy she went through a major refit in 1969-70, with upgraded electronics (Russian) and had returned to her base at Port Berenice to continue her duties. This was the period of the “phoney war� between the 6 day war and Yom Kippur wars.
Emblems, flag and Phantom of the Israeli Air force during Op eration Keshet Avira In M ay 1970 twelve F4 Phantoms of 201 squadron based in Hattor and 69 Squadron (The Hammers) armed with M K117 bombs attacked the vessel in Op eration Keshet Avira (Ariel bow) while it was at anchor. Bristling with anti-aircraft guns and a new firing tracking sy stem held off several attacks despite being hit by sidewinder missiles and countless rounds from the planes in wing cannons. With a range of 800 miles the aircraft could sustain a prolonged attack over the target. With a still decimated air force the Israelis carried on the relentless attack unhindered from the air. Fires sp read throughout the vessel and internal explosions raked the ship. Eventually the 300 ft destroyer settled by the stern, her entire sup erstructure ablaze. As she sank she swung round on her anchor and grounded on a coral shelf ripping her bow plates open; her draught only 3 mtrs. Thus leaving her fore section and superstructure above water.
Gone down fighting-defiant to the end-the barrels of the Guns still point sky ward
The attack was a direct result of the sinking of one of her original sister ships off Alexandria by the Egyptians. 49
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THE HEDGEHOG ANTI SUBMARIME MORTAR
So named because of the empty rows of spigots resembled the spines of a hedgehog. The weapon w as basically 24 mortars which could be launched in various patterns against submarines. The launcher had 4 cradles each with 6 spigots, and the firing sequence could be staggered Hedgehog entered service in 1942. Carrying a Torpex charge weighing 16 kg (35 lb), each mortar had a diameter of 18 cm (7.1 in) and w eighed about 29.5 kg (65 lb). The projectiles w ere angled so they w ould land in a circular shape with a diameter of 40 m (130 ft) about 180 m (590 ft) ahead of a stationary ship. The projectiles would then sink at about 7 m/s (23 ft/s). They would reach a submerged U boat, for example at 200 ft in under 9 seconds. If one struck the submarine, it was hoped the subsequent explosion would trigger all the other bombs to explode as w ell. Hedgehog remained in use as anti submarine w eapon until the end of the w ar. The w ere still fitted to DOMIAT w hen she sank!
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PETER COLLINGS BIBLIOGRAPHY-PUBLICATIONS 19862015
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About the author PETER COLLINGS.
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www.deeplens.com Peter began diving in 1970. In 1983 he wrote the first of 12 diving related books and has won several international awards for his publications and underwater photography. His articles and photographs have appeared consistently thought the international diving press, Including DIVE, SPORT DIVER, SCOTTISH DIVER , H20, TAUCHEN A BSAC Advanced instructor, ( Red Sea Wreck Academy) SSI PRO 5000 DIVER and TDI Advance Trimix diver, Peter has lead over 500 wreck and photo safaris around the world, logging over 6000 dives, and along with his regular team of experts has located and identified many of the shipwrecks in Egyptian waters. To date Peter has written and published 24 diving related guide books.
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DEEPLENS@AOL.COM WWW.DEEPLENS.COM
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